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Disclaimer: The views of this opinion piece is solely from the author and not necessarily the view of the company.

A recent site visit to our client’s operations had our team exploring the perceptions and dynamics of company vs community. As I noted all the activities our client listed, including building temples, a few randomly placed street lamps – I wondered if these activities had any impact or remotely enough? Shouldn’t the company want to spend money on sanitation or education instead? I shared my concerns with a colleague. The hour and something discussion had a significant learning curve in my understanding of CSR activities and the potential to use it as a stakeholder engagement tool. The course of the discussion are shared below:

What makes a CSR Activity impactful?

I perceived that there are two ingredients that made any activity impactful – how many or how frequently? ( the quantity) and/or how effectively can it resolve the root of the problem? (the quality). How many livelihoods have been transformed or affected on a daily bases? Does it solve the root of the problem? If it did both, the activity is deemed highly impactful – Enrolling 10,000 girls to school in a heavily patriarchal/ stigmatised community is undoubtedly more impactful than a one off donation of 600 laptops in an electricity deficient, low literacy rate village! Admittedly this is a simplistic view, leaning heavily on the success of its project selection and management. Companies cannot regard CSR projects in isolation – It’s success is dependent on trust and mutual understanding. This encompasses 1. Listening to the community and establishing a common ‘need’ 2. Gain Trust by empathising responses/ concerns raised and reassure the community – not just say, the influential village heads.

Should impactful CSR activities be led by companies or the community?

To dig a little deeper, we had role played what it would be like to view activities from a communities perspective vs companies. As a community, I may have asked for a street lamps, which I perceive to be an asset for my community as it affects daily chores, but if the company offers me a primary education school instead – would I (read as a community representative for this para) value it more? Perhaps not. It could be seen as – asked me something, offered me another. So would I, really value and use an arguably more impactful investment such as a primary school? Would I care if it doesn’t run? – Maybe not. I would be more inclined to appreciate what was requested and received – and therefore would consider notifying someone if the street lamps didn’t work. This right here is why the effort carried out by a company, gets lost during implementation. For a programme to be effective or ‘impactful’, organisations are dependent on the villages to see value in it. Value is recognized when demand is met. So, it could be said that a business case for projects could influence the community’s understanding of the requirement, which would gain value and invariably see impact.

Are community-led CSR projects an investment to build trust?

I can see why it might be crucial to carry out initiatives, communities have voiced to gain mutual trust and understanding. Ideally it would make sense to present facts and negotiate an impactful project upfront, but the sad reality is that this might not always pan out. Under this circumstance, building temples and randomly placed street lamps are perhaps a step to ascertain trust. It needs to be embedded in negotiations to carry out an community led project in turn for the opportunity to present an impactful project. One way or another, companies must graduate to a more robust and impactful CSR agenda.